BaccalaureatePublic

Bismarck State College

Bismarck, North Dakota·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·bismarckstate.edu
6-yr Graduation
47%
+23.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
4,206
peer median 4,009
Avg net price
$10,270
-$314 vs Baccalaureate
Use this data
Ask Clema
OutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
47%+23.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

9.9pp gap
Pell recipients
40%83 of 209
Non-Pell (all)
50%293 of 587
Subsidized loan, no Pell
35%23 of 65
No Federal Aid
52%270 of 522

Non-Pell students graduate at a 9.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 74 Title IV programs, 10 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 64 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
74
Passing
10
13.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

74programs
  • Passing10 · 13.5%
  • No Data64 · 86.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
1
Safe
8
No data
64

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

10
Design and Applied Arts
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+4.7%
$37,776 vs $36,082
Business/Commerce General
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+22.6%
$44,242 vs $36,082
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+43.5%
$51,767 vs $36,082
Agricultural Business and Management
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+61.8%
$58,392 vs $36,082
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+84.8%
$66,683 vs $36,082
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
Associate Degree · Construction Trades
+182.2%
$101,828 vs $36,082
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Engineering Technologies/Technicians
+219.6%
$115,316 vs $36,082
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Engineering Technologies/Technicians
+229.4%
$118,853 vs $36,082

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Design and Applied Arts
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+4.7%
+$1,694

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

14
Design and Applied Arts
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
32%
$12,000 debt · $37,776 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
31%
$20,959 debt · $66,683 earn
Agricultural Business and Management
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
21%
$12,000 debt · $58,392 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
21%
$10,600 debt · $51,767 earn
Business/Commerce General
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
20%
$8,750 debt · $44,242 earn
Practical Nursing Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
Undergraduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
16%
$10,500 debt · $65,425 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
15%
$17,875 debt · $122,948 earn
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Engineering Technologies/Technicians
11%
$12,524 debt · $115,316 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1966Next review Aug 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 5

  1. Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  2. Sep 2021Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  3. Mar 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  4. Mar 2020Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  5. Aug 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$6,140
$30–48k$5,828
$48–75k$8,524
$75–110k$12,160
$110k+$13,979

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$10,270
-$313vs Baccalaureate median $10,584
Federal loans
20.3%
In-state tuition
$5,247
Out-of-state
$7,331

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 948 students received $4.7M in Pell grants, alongside $5.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
948
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$4.7M
$4,687,823 total
Direct Loans
$5.6M
1,445 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.7M
580 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.7M
852 loan awards
Parent PLUS$131K
13 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 845 borrowers who entered repayment, 22 (2.6%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.6%
+0.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
845
Defaulted
22
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
6.4%
2017
7.9%
2018
5.9%
2019
2.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Bismarck State College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs63
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

827 total completions
01Liberal Arts
36444.0%
02Engineering Tech
15919.2%
03Health Professions
8410.2%
04Business
769.2%
05Computer Sciences
506.0%
06Agriculture
344.1%
07Visual/Performing Arts
202.4%
08Mechanic
151.8%
09Precision Production
131.6%
10Construction Trades
121.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
4,206
12-mo unduplicated
5,662
Undergraduate
5,662
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
49%2,779
Women
51%2,883

Race / ethnicity composition

White
80.3%
Two or more
5.1%
Hispanic
4.1%
Black
3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.1%
Unknown
1.6%
Asian
1.4%
Non-resident
1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
215
135 M · 80 W
Women athletes
37.2%
Athletic aid
$620K
Total student aid
Budget
$1.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$318K
$298K
Recruiting expense
$2K
$6K
Head-coach salaries
$24K
$34K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
29 M · 23 W
$425K
Baseball
33 M · —
$185K
Basketball
12 M · 13 W
$411K
Rodeo
12 M · 7 W
$213K
Softball
— · 18 W
$144K
Volleyball
— · 16 W
$99K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.49
2 offenses · 4,065 students

3-year trend

1.412 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.49Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
7
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
3
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

2total
  • On campus2

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
2
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs08
Liquor0216

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
13.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
88

Bismarck State College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Bismarck State College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectBismarck State College
47%—4,206$10,270Baccalaureate
Spokane Falls Community College
——4,319$7,409Baccalaureate
Western Nevada College
——4,284$12,732Baccalaureate
Kent State University at Stark
1%—3,569$10,897Baccalaureate
Yakima Valley College
——3,809$11,843Baccalaureate
Brazosport College
——3,812$4,732Baccalaureate
Peer group median24%—4,009$10,584

Institutions like Bismarck State College

Explore the federal data for institutions in Bismarck State College's comparison group.

IPEDS

Bismarck State College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Assessment
Phone
701.224.5400
Address
1500 Edwards Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58506, USA

The Institutional Assessment page at Bismarck State College outlines the expected learning outcomes for graduates of the Engineering, Engineering Technology, Geographic Information Systems Technician, and Mathematics programs. It lists the skills and knowledge students will acquire through these programs. Contact information for the college is also provided.

Visit IR office page

Frequently asked questions about Bismarck State College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bismarck State College.

What is the graduation rate at Bismarck State College?

Bismarck State College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 47% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Bismarck State College?

Bismarck State College reports a total enrollment of 4,206 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Bismarck State College?

The average net price at Bismarck State College is $10,270 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Bismarck State College located?

Bismarck State College is located in Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5587.

Who runs Institutional Research at Bismarck State College?

Bismarck State College's IR work is done by the Institutional Assessment.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Bismarck State College and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card